In the world of positive news, IKEA’s name pops up quite often. Just last week, we wrote about a new line of IKEA homeware that is being made using waste straw from rice farmers in India who typically burn it, which contributes heavily to air pollution. And the week before, we ran a little story on how IKEA will soon introduce a vegan version of its famous meatballs to its menus.
Now IKEA is back with another great initiative as it teams up with a company called Little Sun to bring power to people all over the world. The project, which is being called “Sammanlänkad” (Swedish for “connected”), will try to reach the billion people who have limited or no access to power by creating a collection of products powered by the sun.
To do this, the company is producing a line of products that will feature functional pieces of furniture like lamps and ceiling lights that will contain a removable battery, or energy store, which can be charged by solar to be used as a light source when needed. Sammanlänkad’s product lineup will also include solar panels that are small enough to hang in a window, designed to charge portable electronics like laptops and phones. The energy stores made to fit within a larger device will be roughly the size of a palm. Although the products are currently in the prototype phase, IKEA expects to launch the line of products in 2021.
